To prevent exposure to dangerous viruses and bacteria many people use sanitizers such as Purex or Lysol. While hand sanitizers do get rid of some types of dangerous bacteria many types of viruses are untouched by such sanitisers. Hand sanitizer works by using a chemical to disinfect the surface it is applied to.
''Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are clearly a very useful and important method to prevent most bacterial and viral infections, with rare exceptions, Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are clearly a very useful and important method to prevent most bacterial and viral infections, with rare exceptions," says Aaron E. Glatt, MD, executive vice president of Mercy Medical Center, Rockville Centre, Long Island, N.Y. He is a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
The main ingredient in most hand sanitizers is ethyl alcohol. Ethyl Alcohol is a member of a genre of organic compounds called alcohols and its molecular formula is C2H5OH. Ethyl Alcohol is most commonly used as an additive in gasoline (ethanol), medications, and in alcoholic beverages. This type of alcohol is fermented and is often called grain alcohol.
In sanitizers ethyl alcohol is used at a concentration of 62%. Alcohol kills bacteria by destroying the organisms proteins and lipids. This process makes antiseptics and sanitisers effective to numerous funguses and viruses but is ineffective against spores of bacteria.
According to the Centers for Disease Control the best way to prevent transmission of diseases is to frequently wash your hands with soap and water and or use an antiseptic. If soap and water is not available then it is recommended that you should use a hand sanitiser that has at least 60% effective alcohol content inside it.”The CDC ...
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...anitizer is used as a topical antimicrobial use to prevent disease in humans, if ingested by a child digestion could result in moderate alcohol poisoning. Although no major health issues can rise from digestion of alcohol based hand sanitizer the FDA still urges adults to oversee the use of hand sanitizer by children.
The main ingredient used in anti-microbial sprays such as Lysol is usually similar to that used in alcohol based hand sanitizers, except the lack of add ons that thicken the product instead sprays usually have a fragrance to hide the strong smell of ethanol or other alcohol byproducts.
The effectiveness of hand sanitizer is still a growing controversy and has many issues in controlled variables. It is hard to test and collect data, but it is proven that alcohol based hand sanitizers or alcohol rubs do get rid of “most” dangerous viruses and bacteria.
People have believed in medicinal benefits of alcohol since ancient times, using it to cure snake bites and control disease. Even though the belief has begun to dwindle in the early twentieth century, alcohol was legally manufactured for medic...
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer. Always wash your hands:
Scoffield, H. (2011, October 03). Ottawa to review safety of key ingredient in anti-bacterial soaps. The
...y infections that could cause short term or long term unneeded damage. For this reason doctors and health care professionals are recommending that all people of all ages to get theses vaccines (University of Maryland Center, 2014). Other ways to prevent this disease are to simply keep clean and be aware of good hand hygiene (University of Maryland Center, 2014). By washing your hands with antimicrobial soap and warm water with friction, most bacteria are killed. Doing this prevents organisms from potentially getting inside your body.
surfactants. They are made up of two amphiphilic moieties connected at the level of the head
They are also used in a variety of common products and processes. Sodium lauryl sulfate is a strong detergent used for removing oils and grease and is found in many household cleaning products, face and body washes and shampoos.
Disinfection is applied in water as well as wastewater treatment as a finishing step so as to destroy pathogens but the cause of concern regarding the disinfection process is the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Natural organic matter (NOM) in water has been considered as the predominant DBP precursors. Disinfectants are powerful oxidants that oxidize the organic matter present in water forming DBPs. Chlorine, ozone, chlorine dioxide, and chloramines are the most common disinfectants used nowadays and each produces its own suite of chemical DBPs in finished drinking water (Richardson, 2003). DBPs so formed pose a threat to human health because of their potential to cause cancer and reproductive/developmental effects. Most developed nations have regulated concentration of DBPs so as to minimize exposure to potentially harmful DBPs while maintaining adequate disinfection and control of targeted
This literature review will analyze and critically explore four studies that have been conducted on hand hygiene compliance rates by Healthcare workers (HCWs). Firstly, it will look at compliance rates for HCWs in the intensive care units (ICU) and then explore the different factors that contribute to low hand hygiene compliance. Hospital Acquired infections (HAI) or Nosocomial Infections appear worldwide, affecting both developed and poor countries. HAIs represent a major source of morbidity and mortality, especially for patients in the ICU (Hugonnet, Perneger, & Pittet, 2002). Hand hygiene can be defined as any method that destroys or removes microorganisms on hands (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). According to the World Health Organization (2002), a HAI can be defined as an infection occurring in a patient in a hospital or other health care facility in whom the infection was not present or incubating at the time of admission. The hands of HCWs transmit majority of the endemic infections. As
Hand decontamination is the use of hand wash or alcohol rub that reduces the number of bacteria on the hands. Hand decontamination is also referred to as ‘hand hygiene’. Hand Hygiene is an integral part of nursing care, as effectively decontaminating hands significantly reduces the risk of pathogens being transferred from one surface to another, or from person to person (NICE, 2014). This means, that through practicing good hand hygiene, nurses can actively reduce the incidences of preventable healthcare associated infections, therefore improving the health and mortality of their patients.
Alcohol is an ethanol containing substance that is a common beverage in many social and private settings. Alcohol is also a teratogen, therefore alcohol co...
It is a clear and colorless liquid with a profound odor. Ethanol is used as a beverage; whether the drink is beer, wine or hard liquor, it is a liquid drug that slows down the central nervous system just like a sedative. Ethyl alcohol is actually classified as a food because it has calories, although it does not have any nutritional value therefore the calories are measured as empty calories. Ethanol is not digested or transported to the bodies’ cells like the normal digestive process; instead it is absorbed directly into the blood stream. Alcohol travels throughout the body by diluting itself in the water already present in the organ systems. Most vital organs, such as the brain, need a large amount of water and blood to function and are particularly vulnerable to the effects of ethyl alcohol. Other than being used as a beverage, ethyl alcohol can be used to clean surfaces from micro organisms, for that reason, one can presume it is toxic to the
Stout, A., Ritchie, K. & Macpherson, K. (2007). Clinical effectiveness of alcohol-based products in increasing hand hygiene compliance and reducing infection rates: a systematic review. Journal Of Hospital Infection, 66 (4), pp. 308--312.
Alcohol is a depressant/central nervous system depressant that is made up of ethanol. In its pure state, it is extremely flammable, and toxic to drink. In order to drink it. It must be “cut” with water. The amount of water to alcohol is how you get the measure of its “proof” or percentage of alcohol.
“Researchers in London estimate that if everyone routinely washed their hands, a million deaths a year could be prevented” (“Hygiene Fast Facts”, 2013, p. 1). Hands are the number one mode of transmission of pathogens. Hands are also vital in patient interaction, and therefore should be kept clean to protect the safety of patients and the person caring for the patient. Hand hygiene is imperative to professional nursing practice because it prevents the spread of pathogens, decreases chances of hospital-acquired infections, and promotes patient safety. There is a substantial amount of evidence that shows why hand hygiene is important in healthcare
Effective hand washing is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of germs and to keep you from getting sick, because it prevents transmission of pathogens. But what exactly is the most effective way to wash hands?